ARMY AND AIR FORCE ORDERED TO REMOVE BOOKS WITH DEI CONTENT
Despite several disrespectful faux pas moments, having to backtrack because of public backlash, and having actual issues at hand, the Trump administration continues to push against content in the military that could contain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Now, the libraries of military branches have to parse through their books to eliminate literature that could contain DEI themes. Below, we’re breaking down how the Army and Air Force are being censored by the government.
Army and Air Force Must Purge Libraries of DEI Content
Both Soldiers and Airmen are going to have fewer reading materials available to them within their respective libraries. The Army and Air Force are being ordered to find books with DEI content, which will be reviewed for removal.
The military has already seen similar orders come down on other learning facilities, specifically, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where around 400 books were removed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is continuing his war on DEI, but the books will still need to be reviewed before being removed.
This time around, the initial lists will be under more scrutiny and conducted at a slower pace, after the Navy was forced to reverse some of its decisions before, following public backlash.
Memos and Directives
These directives all come after a recent memo delivered by Acting Army Assistant Secretary Derrick Anderson, instructing West Point, the Army War College, and other departments to review and report books on DEI, gender ideology, and critical race theory that may challenge merit or unity.
Similarly, the Air Force also issued a similar memo, signed by Acting Assistant Secretary Gwendolyn DeFilippi, requiring the Air Force Academy to submit a list of such titles by May 30, 2025, for further review.
What Has Been Eliminated
The books that will be censored by Trump are still being determined, but there have already been plenty removed.
There are several books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, the Civil Rights Movement, and racism that have been removed from military libraries.
Specifically, the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library, which has seen things like Police Violence and Race: The Effects of Racial Focusing Events on Attitudes About Race Relations, by Midshipman Gavin D. Jernigan, and Maya Angelou’s infamous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
But it’s not just books. The anti-DEI initiative has seen the histories of Jackie Robinson, Tuskegee Airmen, and Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) eliminated from courses in the military, all of which have been restored following backlash.
Why the Army and Air Force Are Eliminating DEI in Their Libraries Now
The military academies weren’t originally included in President Trump’s executive order banning DEI content in K–12 schools, because they're colleges.
However, leadership at The Pentagon noticed this issue and began issuing new orders to rectify it.
All of these issues continue despite backlash against leaders like Hegseth and Trump, and this is why the new materials on the chopping block are slated to receive extra time for review.
Rallying against DEI initiatives continues to interfere with the freedoms of Americans, with a distinct focus on eliminating access to materials to those who are the very ones defending the freedoms of expression that birthed them in the first place.
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